Security control is becoming a major global issue in strategic locations, such as airports, official buildings, and transit stations. The agencies responsible for public security need powerful and ... [more ▼]

Security control is becoming a major global issue in strategic locations, such as airports, official buildings, and transit stations. The agencies responsible for public security need powerful and sensitive tools to detect warfare agents and explosives. Volatile signature detection is one of the fastest and easiest ways to achieve this task. However, explosive chemicals have low volatility making their detection challenging. In this research, we developed and evaluated fast chromatographic methods to improve the characterization of volatile signatures from explosives samples. The headspace of explosives was sampled with solid phase micro-extraction fiber (SPME). Following this step, classical gas chromatography (GC) and comprehensive two-dimensional GC (GC×GC) were used for analysis. A fast GC approach allows the elution temperature of each analyte to be decreased, resulting in decreased thermal degradation of sensitive compounds (e.g., nitro explosives). Using fast GC×GC, the limit of detection is further decreased based on the cryo-focusing effect of the modulator. Sampling of explosives and chromatographic separation were optimized, and the methods then applied to commercial explosives samples. Implementation of fast GC methods will be valuable in the future for defense and security forensics applications. [less ▲]

We investigate the relationship between corporate board of directors’ attributes and conditional accounting conservatism in the French context. Using a pooled regression model over the period 2009-2012 ... [more ▼]

We investigate the relationship between corporate board of directors’ attributes and conditional accounting conservatism in the French context. Using a pooled regression model over the period 2009-2012, our empirical results can be summarized as follows. First, greater board activity encourages more conservative reporting in financial statements. Second, larger board size diminishes conditional accounting conservatism. Lastly, there is a positive association between gender diversity and accounting conservatism. As a robustness test, we use alternative measures of accounting conservatism, namely time series and accrual-based measures in addition to asymmetric timeliness of earnings. Our findings suggest that boards of directors’ attributes are an important factor in determining the financial reporting quality of French firms. [less ▲]

The implementation of reliable preservation technologies of the biological resources is crucial for the management of the Biological Ressources Centers. PRESPHOTO, a BRAIN.be project, aims to develop and ... [more ▼]

The implementation of reliable preservation technologies of the biological resources is crucial for the management of the Biological Ressources Centers. PRESPHOTO, a BRAIN.be project, aims to develop and optimize new and cost-effective preservation techniques of photosynthetic microalgae (diatoms and cyanobacteria) in the two BCCM collections, BCCM/DCG and BCCM/ULC. This is a critical factor for the future growth and valorisation of these collections. Firstly, the traditional two-step cryopreservation technique will be adapted to photosynthetic microalgae strains. In particular, we will examine the effects of the culture conditions, the type and concentration of cryoprotectants, and the preservation temperature on the survival of microalgae. The encapsulation/dehydration technique as alternative to the two-step cryopreservation method will be also evaluated. Moreover, an independent validation of the developed protocols will be performed by the Culture Collection of Algae and Protozoa (UK) (subcontractor). Secondly, we will perform genome resequencing of selected strains to investigate the genetic changes induced by different cryopreservation techniques. Finally, a high-quality genomic DNA bank will be established and validated. [less ▲]

The ability to imagine the future is a complex mental faculty that depends on an ensemble of cognitive processes supported by an extended set of brain regions. Our aim here was to shed light on one key ... [more ▼]

The ability to imagine the future is a complex mental faculty that depends on an ensemble of cognitive processes supported by an extended set of brain regions. Our aim here was to shed light on one key component of future thinking—personal goal processing—and to determine its neural correlates during both directed and spontaneous forms of thoughts. To address this question, we performed separate ALE meta-analyses of neuroimaging studies of episodic future thinking, mind-wandering, and personal goal processing, and then investigated the commonalities and differences in brain activity between these three domains. The results showed that the three domains activated a common set of brain regions within the default network and, most notably, the medial prefrontal cortex. This finding suggests that the medial prefrontal cortex mediates the processing of personal goals during both episodic future thinking and mind-wandering. Differences in activation were also observed, and notably regions supporting cognitive control processes (the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) were recruited to a lesser extent during mind-wandering than experimentally directed future thinking, suggesting that different kinds of self-generated thoughts may recruit varying levels of attentional control abilities. [less ▲]

PURPOSE: In development, chondrocyte hypertrophy is a crucial and well-studied step in endochondral ossification. Hypertrophy may also play a role in pathophysiological processes, including osteoarthritis ... [more ▼]

PURPOSE: In development, chondrocyte hypertrophy is a crucial and well-studied step in endochondral ossification. Hypertrophy may also play a role in pathophysiological processes, including osteoarthritis. We employ a computational approach to estimate the effect of individual factors in this complex process. METHODS: We have combined information gleaned from a high number of publications on chondrocyte differentiation into a gene regulatory network of 46 factors and over 150 interactions. This network can estimate the stability of proliferative chondrocytes/permanent cartilage (stable state with SOX9 activity) and hypertrophic chondrocytes (stable state with RUNX2 activity) by employing 2 measures. A first measure is a Monte Carlo analysis that assesses stability in the face of random initial conditions, the second modifies stable states to estimate the sensitivity to perturbation. RESULTS: For each factor, these qualitative measures are calculated in silico under knockout and overexpression conditions and compared to the wild type situation. This enables screening of the effects of all incorporated factors on cartilage homeostasis, differentiation and pathogenesis via the initiation of hypertrophy. Indeed, our gene network analysis indicated multiple candidate genes for the development of osteoarthritis. Factors that amplify the SOX9 attractor basin include TGFβ, PPR, IGF-I, and PKA. The presence of RAS, IHH, GLI2 and FGF is required for the Runx2 stable state. Using a literature study, we corroborated several of the proposed factors. CONCLUSIONS: In silico screening of overexpression and knockout presents a novel strategy to improve bone and cartilage tissue engineering approaches, and can be used to propose a list of putative therapeutic targets for e.g. osteoarthritis. [less ▲]

The general objective of this work is to examine the coherence between food security policies and economic efficiency and valuation of resources policies for the sugar sub-sector in Morocco. A food ... [more ▼]

The general objective of this work is to examine the coherence between food security policies and economic efficiency and valuation of resources policies for the sugar sub-sector in Morocco. A food security policy implies state intervention and thus leads implicitly to market distortions, while a resource valuation policy would imply a free market. To address this issue, I will firstly adopt an approach that involves a sugar market analysis (measuring determinants of demand and changes in international prices against their impact on food security). Then, an economic analysis which attempts at assessing the competitiveness of the various segments of the sugar sub-sector will be undertaken. Finally, an analysis of the relative valuation of resources (capital, labor and irrigation water) by sugar crops compared to different irrigated crops will be led, in order to determine their private and social returns on. The analysis of demand during the period between 2000 and 2010 shows that the trend of domestic consumption witnessed major increases, which lead to the enhancement of food insecurity for sugar in the future. The analysis of volatility of world sugar prices from 1960 to 2010, through the decomposition method of time series, allows the isolation of an accidental effect, which reflects variability due neither to seasonal effects nor to trend. This accidental effect is mainly marked during three periods: 1973-1975, 1980-1981 and 2009-2010. In terms of food security, these fluctuations in world sugar prices have no impact on household access to sugar, yet they have a significant impact on state budget. Any variation in prices in the international market is absorbed by the compensation system since prices are regulated by this system. The food safety policy conducted during the sixties and seventies have mitigated the country's dependence on imports and thus reduce the impact of world sugar price fluctuations. However, this policy has often been criticized in terms of market efficiency and valuation of resources. The economic analysis of the sugar sub-sector in Morocco shows that the different segments of the value chain don’t enjoy the same level of protection. If the production segment of sugar beet doesn’t receive any protection, the processing segment of raw sugar will remain protected. However, the level of this protection has generally declined during the post structural adjustment period. In terms of competitiveness, while the sugar beet crop becomes competitive, the effective competitiveness of the industrial segment, and given the significant distortions in the world market, is difficult to assess. The analysis of the valuation of resources (capital, labor and water) shows that sugar crops, especially sugar beets, value relatively better capital resources and labor than most horticultural crops. They occupy an important position in terms of employment and value added created per hectare. However, the valuation of irrigation water remains low for sugar beet (excluding the region of Doukkala). But the technology trend shows substantial opportunities for improvement. Food security policy for sugar has been efficient since it helped establish a competitive national production which is generally able to value resources better. The distortions introduced by state intervention gave the time to farmers to improve their technical skills and to become competitive in the framework of international market, marked as it was by significant distortions. Finally, a food security policy is in no way inconsistent with a policy of valuation of resources on the condition that when the sub-sector becomes competitive, a way to market mechanisms must be given. [less ▲]